Q. What books or textbooks would you recommend to high school students? Or what is your favorite book?
A. " Visual Edition: 4.6 Billion Years of Earth History" by Eiichi Tajika
It covers 4.6 billion years from the birth of the earth to the present and future, and is recommended as the first book for those who are interested in the history of the earth. It is easy to carry in a paperback, full-color, and easy to understand with many pictures and photos, and it costs less than 1,000 yen!

Q. What do you like about the School of Science, UTokyo?
A. It is a place where you can broaden your horizons.
Faculty of Science has professors who are doing various kinds of research, and students with diverse interests come from all over the country. By taking classes in other Departments and talking with teachers and students, you can expand your interests and knowledge.

Q. What made you want to join the School of Science?
A. Because the open campus of School of Science, The University of Tokyo was interesting.
I happened to attend a university tour event at my high school, and I became interested in Science because the exhibits and open classes were interesting and research on nature looked like a lot of fun. I still keep the School of Science bookmark I received at that time.

Q. What did you find surprising at the School of Science?
A. That there are still many things that we don't know.
I learned that there are many things that are still unresolved in addition to the things that have already been solved by taking classes at the Faculty of Science. I was mildly shocked to learn that the human lifespan is too short and helpless to figure anything out against nature.

Q. What do you enjoy about research and academic activities?
A. The cooperation of all mankind.
As in "standing on the shoulders of giants," I enjoy the sense of unity and being a part of the challenge to elucidate the principles of nature with all mankind, supported by the giants in the accumulation of knowledge left by our predecessors, and holding hands on their shoulders, regardless of nationality or age.

Q. If you could travel in time, would you go to the past or to the future?
A. I would like to go to the Late Cretaceous Period and see dinosaurs.
My interest in geology started with dinosaurs, so I would like to go to North America during the Late Cretaceous Period and see moving dinosaurs. But I am afraid of being attacked by carnivorous dinosaurs, so I would like to see a herd of dinosaurs while flying in the sky with pterosaurs instead of going down to the ground.

Q. What are you not good at?
A. Swimming
I can't swim at all because I don't know how to catch my breath or move my body. However, I want to swim in nature, such as in the ocean, lakes, and rivers, so I recently started practicing at the University of Tokyo swimming pool. The results have been positive, and I am now able to move forward on the fluttering leg!

Q. What is your dream?
A. I want to contribute to my hometown and Japan as a researcher.
Shiga Prefecture, where I am from, and my home country, Japan, have many geological attractions. I would like to contribute not only to the advancement of science but also to my hometown in a way that only a researcher can: by communicating the excitement of research on these subjects to the world.

Q. What routines or fun activities do you incorporate in your everyday life?
A. I started online English conversation
To improve my speaking ability, but I find it unexpectedly fun to talk with people from all over the world about a variety of topics, and I continue to do so every day as if it were a form of entertainment. I feel the greatness of English that makes it possible for people from different languages and cultures to converse with each other.

Q. What do you do to take a break from your research and studies?
A. Watch ing live videos of Hatsune Miku
I love Hatsune Miku, one of the virtual singers, and I always watch her on days when I am tired or depressed. Miku's singing and dancing soothe my heart and make me want to try a little harder! It makes me feel like I can do my best.

A picture I drew in kindergarten (above, bottom left) and a picture I drew as an undergraduate student (bottom right). I have always loved dinosaurs, which were my introduction to the world of geology.

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